Exclusive: U.S.-backed Raqqa battle should end in two months, says senior SDF commander
RAQQA, Syria (Reuters) – The battle to oust Islamic State from its stronghold in the Syrian city of Raqqa should end within two months, a top-ranking Kurdish commander told Reuters, but said she expects the fighting to intensify.
Digging dung: South Africa’s amaBhungane heaps pressure on Zuma
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – A group of investigative journalists whose slogan is “digging dung, fertilizing democracy” is holding South African President Jacob Zuma to account over his widely criticized links to a family of wealthy businessmen.
Merkel, Macron urge Russia, Ukraine to step up peace efforts
BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for Russia and Ukraine to increase their efforts to implement a fragile ceasefire agreement in eastern Ukraine.
Catalan parties step up referendum planning in clash with Madrid
MADRID (Reuters) – Pro-separatist parties in the Spanish region of Catalonia said on Monday they were going ahead with legal preparations to create an independent state as they prepare for a disputed referendum on secession in October.
Barcelona attackers evaded checks specially designed to prevent attacks: minister
MADRID (Reuters) – A jihadist cell that killed 16 people in a double attack in Catalonia earlier this month managed to evade controls specifically intended to detect potential threats, Spain’s interior minister said on Monday, promising to review proce…
German admits selling gun to Munich attack shooter
BERLIN (Reuters) – A 32-year-old German man admitted in court on Monday that he sold the weapon used by a teenage gunman who killed nine people in Munich last year, a court spokesman said, adding that the defendant told relatives he felt sorry for his …
German killer nurse suspected of 84 more murders, police say
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – A German nurse jailed for murdering two patients is suspected of killing at least 84 other people, police said on Monday.
Poland tells EU its overhaul of judiciary in line with EU standards
WARSAW (Reuters) – Poland said on Monday that the legislative process overhauling its judiciary is in line with European standards and called the European Commission’s concerns about rule of law in the country groundless.
Kabul mosque attack: four-year-old called to safety
KABUL (Reuters) – A four-year-old boy photographed in a Kabul mosque last week as police desperately tried to call him to safety during an attack by Islamic State gunmen is back with his family but still suffering nightmares, his father said.
Hard-right German party tells Trump to tweet less
BERLIN (Reuters) – The hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which initially embraced Donald Trump and the populism that swept him into office last year, had a message for the U.S. president on Monday – he should tweet less, and govern more.
